The new member: Rep.-elect Cleo Fields (D-La.)
How they got here: Fields won his return to Congress after defeating Republican Elbert Guillory and Democrat Quentin Anderson. He notched nearly 51 percent of the vote.
Inside the campaign: The race for the seat began in earnest when Republican Gov. Jeff Landry agreed to redraw the state’s congressional map to create a second majority-minority district. The resulting seat, which includes much of Baton Rouge, Shreveport and Lafayette, forced out incumbent Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.).
The issues he’ll focus on: Fields is no stranger to Washington, having served two terms in the House in the 1990s. He vowed during his latest campaign to prioritize education, health care, expanded broadband and economic growth as part of his return.
Background: Fields is a familiar face to those enmeshed in Louisiana politics. He served in the U.S. House from 1993 until 1997. And he has served three separate stints in the Louisiana state Senate, most recently winning a new seat in 2020.
Beyond those successful races, Fields lost the 1995 Louisiana governor’s race to Republican Mike Foster. He then ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission in 2004. The most important factor dictating his future in the U.S. House? The Supreme Court will hear arguments on the redistricting decision next year.
Campaign ad that caught our eye: Louisiana really does have a knack for memorable campaign ads. (Remember this one from House contender Gary Chambers?) Well, Fields embraced this smooth jazz beat in his campaign ad this cycle.
Fun fact: Upon his election to the Louisiana state Senate at age 24, Fields became the youngest person ever elected to that body — and, at that time, the youngest ever to win a state Senate seat in the country.
We’re spotlighting new members during the transition. Want more? Meet Rep.-elect Gil Cisneros (D-Calif.).
